Sacrificed Youth
by Roseathorn3
Summary: John Murphy may be an ass, but hey that maybe just what it takes to survive in this world.
1. Chapter 1 The Flu

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The 100.

 **Chapter 1 The Flu**

"Your son has the flu, Mr. Murphy. Most of the kids in this sector do." Dr. Griffin said smiling down at John. "Here are two fever reducing pills take one now and the other in six hours. No solid foods until he's keeping liquids down."

"Thank you doctor," Alex Murphy said as he escorted her towards the door.

"John will be fine, both Clark and Wells have already recovered." Dr. Griffin said.

Once she was gone Alex turned to his son. "Hear that John. At least two days with no school and no work."

John smiled, he loved the times where it was just him and his dad. Man time his dad called it. Mom had been on shift when quarantine locked their sector. Once his fever broke she would come home but until then it was just him and his dad. He wished he felt better so they could play a game but his body ached and his head swam every time he moved.

"Read to me," John asked.

Alex nodded and pulled a worn notebook off the shelf. In the notebook he had pain stackenly copied out his son's favorite library book, "Sounder."

By now John could practically recite the novel from memory, but he still insisted His Dad read it to him.

John relaxed and closed his eyes as his dad's voice told the familiar story of a Earth boy and his beloved dog. That was John's greatest wish to have a dog. A dog who would love him best and always be his friend unlike Finn who only wanted to be friends when Raven wasn't around. John fell asleep as his dad read. Forgetting his pain as he was lost in the story.

Several hours later he woke as his stomach rejected the thin soup he'd eaten earlier. Dad tried to get him to eat more but he felt too sick. Dad tried to distract him again with the book, but John continued to throw up even after his stomach was empty.

Alex was getting worried now. John's fever had been climbing and he seemed to be half asleep. In desperation he gave John the second pill. But not five minutes later John thew it back up with the little bit of water he'd taken with it. Alex tried to give it to him again, but John threw up seconds after he swallowed it.

Alex called for the doctor but was told it would be a few hours. All he could do was coaxes John to drink and hold him with he threw up. He son now felt hot to the touch but was shivering violently. He pressed a cool glass bottle to his son's head and held his boy close.

Finally three house and 46 minutes later Dr. Heys arrived. He barely glanced at John, only at his tablet. "Mr. Murry, you've already received your fair share of fever tablets, I can't give you any more for another 12 hours." He held up the bottle of pills and shook it. "These have to last for the whole sector."

"Please, he can't seem to stop vomiting." Alex said, gesturing to the bucket.

Dr. Heys frowned, "I hope you haven't given him more than his rationed amount of water."

"Dr. Griffin said to keep him hydrated."

"Abby is too soft, this will pass you just need to wait it out."

"Please. I have some credits saved," Alex pleaded.

"Mr. Murphy, my answer is still no. He can have another pill tomorrow." Dr. Heys said putting the pill bottle in his pocket before turning to leave.

Alex looked desperately around as if searching for a solution.

John gave a weak moan.

Squaring his shoulders he followed Dr. Heys out.

"Doctor, wait a moment." Alex called.

Dr. Heys turned. "Mr. Murphy, I won't change my mind."

"I know, I just want to say thank you for seeing John." Alex said. He held out his hand to shake the doctors.

After a long pause Dr. Heys reached out and shook his hand.

Quickly Alex reached for the pocket and grabbed the bottle of pills.

"I was only doing my job," Dr. Heys said.

With a curt nod, Alex turned away slipping the bottle into his own pocket.

"Hold it right there." A new voice called.

Alex froze, as he heard someone walk towards them.

"He took something from your pocket."

With that Alex started to run, maybe he could bar the door long enough to give John a pill.

"He stole medicine, a whole bottle," Dr. Heys called.

But the gaurd was already chasing Alex. One hit with the shock stick and Alex knew no more.

Alex Murphy was taken to interrogation. No one thought to check on John until Dr. Griffin stopped by the next day.

During the night John's fever had finally broken. and he'd fallen into a deep sleep.

"Where's your dad, John?" Dr. Griffin asked.

John looked around, "I don't know?" He pointed at the note book sitting in the chair by his bed. "Last I remember he was reading to me."

"I'll find out where he's gone. You eat some soup and rest," Dr. Griffin said.

John nodded accepting the food from the her.

Dr. Griffen smiled and ruffled his hair. "Now your fevers gone, we just have to wait 12 hours and your Mom can come home."

But that didn't happen because Alex had been arrested.

 **This is just an idea I had after I started rewatching The 100. John Murphy has such an interesting character arc, I wanted to delve deeper into his story. What do you think? Is it worth continuing?**


	2. Chapter 2 The Trial

**Disclaimer** : I do not own The 100, nor am I making any profit from this fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 The Trial**

The trial was postponed twelve hours so both John and his Mom, Liz could attend.

"John, can you tell us what happened as you remember it."

John squirmed and sent a pleading look to his Dad who tried to smile. "I was sick. Dr. Griffin said it was the flu. Mom couldn't come home because she might catch it. Dad gave me a pill to lower my fever, then he read to me. My head was all swimmy and I couldn't stop throwing up. But Dad took care of me."

"How many pills did your father give you?" Chancellor Jaha asked.

John looked at his Dad again. "Just one?"

"And you don't remember Dr. Heys coming to check on you?"

John shook his head. "I just remember throwing up until I thought I would choke. Then I woke up when Dr. Griffin came back and Dad was gone."

"Thank you, John. You may join your mother," Chancellor Jahn said. "Arresting Officer Simmons, please take the stand."

Officer Simmons swaggered up to the front and puffed out his chest. He was young. His uniform hung off his frame. The extra rations the Guard received had yet to fill him out. "I was on my rounds and I saw Mr. Murphy talking to Dr. Heys. He seemed a little shifty so I paid attention. Sure enough I saw him steal something from Dr. Heys' pocket. When I ordered him to stop, he ran and I had to use my shock baton on him."

John glared at Simmons. He hadn't needed to hurt his Dad, he'd wanted to. John would make him pay for that.

"Thank you Officer Simmons. You may step down. Dr. Heys please come forward," Chancellor Jaha said.

Dr. Heys took Simmons place. "During my shift I got a call to examine John Murphy. I knew from his file he had the flu and had already been examined and treated by Dr. Griffin. I went anyway. Alex Murphy requested more medicine for his son. I informed him, he had already received his allotment and he simply needed to wait for John to recover. He seemed upset but then caught up with me in the hallway. He pretended to be grateful for my visit but instead stole a whole bottle of medicine from my pocket. Thankfully he was caught and the medicine was recovered."

"Where any pills missing?" Chancellor Jaha asked.

"There were not."

"Thank you Dr. Heys you may step down. Alex Murphy please stand."

Dad stood, his hands cuffed in front of him. As if he'd try to run. Or as if he'd hurt someone. His father who had never so much as raised his voice at John.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Chancellor Jaha said.

"I was only trying to save my son. He was very sick. I just needed one pill, I was going to give the rest back. John needed that medicine." Dad said, almost pleading with Jaha.

"The boy clearly didn't need the medicine. He recovered on his own as I said he would," Dr. Heys said, gesturing at John.

Everyone in the room turned to look at John. Besides being a little pale, he looked about as healthy as any kid on the Ark.

John shank back and Mom hugged him tighter to her. But he wasn't embarrass, he was trying to control his temper. It would be very bad for Dad if he attacked Dr. Heys in front of the council.

"Please, I was desperate. I was just being a good father." Dad said.

John focused on Dad, and nodded. His Dad was the best father.

"Do you regret what you did?" Dr. Griffin asked.

"Yes, if I had only known my boy would be okay. I would never have stolen the medicine." Dad looked hopeful.

"If that is all, the council will now deliberate." Jaha and the other member of the council filed out of the room.

Dad smiled over at John and raised his chin. He was telling John to keep his chin up, that everything would be fine.

A few minutes later the council members returned. Everyone stood to hear the sentencing.

"For the crimes of stealing medicine from a doctor and fleeing an officer of the guard," Chancellor Jaha said. "I sentence

You, Alex Murphy, to execution."

Mom gave a strangled cry.

Dad went pale. "No please. My family needs me. Please have mercy."

"Please. No not my Alex, please," Mom cried. She left John and was running after her husband.

John couldn't understand what was happening. It was supposed to be alright. Dad had smiled at him a few minutes ago. Now he was

going to be floated.

The guards wasted no time in dragging Dad towards the air lock.

"John, take care of your mom," Dad called to John.

"Alex, please don't leave me." Mom said. It sounded like she was choking on her grief. "I can't live without you." She had finally reached him. Mom held him tightly and they kissed until the guards pulled them apart.

"May we meet again," Dad said looking straight into John's eyes, as the airlock door started to close.

"May we meet again," John called, automatically.

Mom was crying too hard to respond, she'd fallen to her knees and was sobbing clutching her chest.

John stood behind her and watched with mounting horror as his Dad was sucked into the void of space. There was no sound. Just the sudden emptiness in John's heart. As if all his emotions had been sucked out into space with his Dad. Leaving behind an empty shell.

Dr. Griffin helped his Mom to stand. "I've put in your file that you may have caught the flu. So you won't need to return to work or school until the day after tomorrow. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

Mom nodded as John moved to support her. John was determined to take care of his Mom himself. Dr. Griffin seemed genuinely sorry, but he was a little low on trust at the moment.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you are enjoying the story so far. One thing I always hated about the show was how they floated people. They basically throw resources away. Like when Abby almost gets floated for giving more blood, yet they don't get a donation before killing people. That's just wasteful. I wanted to fix but it doesn't help the story, so I left it as is unhappily.


	3. Chapter 3 A Drink

**Disclaimer** : I do not own The 100, nor am I making any profit from this fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 3 A Drink**

John took Mom home, where she continued to cry. He felt so helpless, Dad had told him to look after Mom. But what could he do, when he also felt like he was breaking into a million tiny pieces? "Is there anything I can get you?" He finally asked Mom around midnight.

She squinted at him through red puffy eyes. "I could use a drink."

John jumped up eagerly and grabbed a serving of water. But when he brought it to Mom she started laughing while more tears leaked from her eyes.

"Not that kind of drink," she said. She pushed herself up from the table and pulled a bottle from behind a box on the top shelve. Then she grabbed two cups. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about this."

John nodded eying the clear liquid with respect. It must be some pretty powerful stuff if it could make Mom stop crying.

She poured him a swallowed and herself a much more generous amount. Then she held out her metal cup.

John picked his up.

She clinked their cups together. "To Alex Murphy. May we meet again."

"To Dad," John echoed. The liquid tasted terrible and burned the inside of his mouth. But it felt nice and warm in his belly.

Mom was staring into her cup, occasionally taking a sip. She seemed to have forgotten John. But at least she wasn't crying.

Quietly John went to bed, hugging the notebook Dad had hand copied for him to his chest.

xxx

The next day passed in much the same way. Mom was either crying or sitting quietly drinking. John took care of her as best he could. Preparing meals, she didn't eat. Cleaning their quarters. He even tried reading her poetry like his Dad used to do.

"Not now John. I just want to be alone."

So John walked the corridors until it was curfew.

xxx

The next day John had to go back to school and Mom had to go to work. School felt strange, the teacher greeted John with, "I'm glad to see you've recovered from the flu."

Nothing about Dad. His Dad was dead and the teacher was glad he'd recovered from the flu.

All during the morning lessons John couldn't pay attention. None of his classmates had said anything about his Dad. Most wouldn't even look at him. He wanted to yell at all of them, "My Dad is dead." But they knew, they just wouldn't say anything. He was waiting for one of them to say anything. Wishing for one of them to say anything.

By lunch he'd reached his boiling point. John glared at everyone. Imagining each of them being forced to watch their parents die right in front of them. It was easy as no one would meet his eye and very satisfying.

Then Raven was in front of him. She was older than him and Finn's friend not his. She had hit a growth spurt making her a few inches taller than John. "Hey," she said.

"What?" John replied aggressively.

Finn flinched, practically hiding behind the taller girl.

"I'm sorry about your dad. I didn't know him but he seemed like a good father." Raven look straight into John's eyes as she spoke in a straight to the point voice. If you couldn't see her eyes you might have thought she didn't care what she was saying.

But John saw his own pain and anger in her eyes. "He was the best Dad," John finally said.

Raven nodded as if they were in agreement, then nodded her head towards their usual table. The silence and the stares no longer seemed so bad. One person understood that John had lost his Dad. The greatest Dad on the Ark.

When John got home, Mom was at the table drinking. She didn't ask how school was, so John didn't ask her about her day. That night as he lay in bed John thought, Day 2 since Dad died. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

xxx

It wasn't, Mom had fallen asleep at the table. "Mom! Are you okay?"

"Stop shaking me," Mom mumbled.

"Are you okay? You have to go to work soon," John pleaded.

"Fuck that!" Mom said loudly, "My husband is dead. Fuck work!" she didn't seem to recognize John as she pushed him away.

"Mom, please," John said. He wasn't even sure what he was pleading for. For her to recognize him. For her to snap out of it. For everything to go back to the way it had been.

"Just leave me alone!" Mom shouted.

John left, only letting the tears fall when the door closed and she could no longer see him.

When he got home she was right were he left her. She was even wearing the same clothes. He wondered if she'd gone to work like that. He wondered if she'd gone to work at all.

xxx

Day 4 started a bit better. Mom was asleep in her bed. But when he got home she was no where to be found. He made himself dinner and retreated to his room to wait. He wrapped his blanket around his pillow and positioned it next to him. He pretended it was his dog, a big hunting dog named Monster. But despite the scary name Monster was a big cuddle puppy. John petted him as he reread Were the Red Fern Grows, in the notebook.

John read late into the night waiting for Mom to get home. What would happen if she was caught out after curfew? What would happen if she never came back?

xxx

Day 5, John was woken up by Mom stumbling into their quarters. She smelled bad but John had never been more happy to see her. "Mom! You're home."

She tried to look at him but her eyes kept drifting. "Why aren't you at school?"

John glanced at the clock he was late, but how could that matter when he'd thought... "I was worried about you."

She smiled at the wall next to him. "I'm fine. Just going to rest for a bit." She stumbled into her room without a backward glance.

At school his teacher lectured him for being late and made him sweep the floors during break. When he got home Mom was drinking again.

There wasn't much food left to fix dinner with. "Mom, we're almost out of food."

"Fine," she mumbled into her cup.

"No Mom, Not fine. We're almost out of food." John said, his voice rising. How could he look after her if they didn't have any food?

"Stop winning. I'll take care of it."

"But I wasn't," John tried to explain.

"I told Alex we were too soft on you. You'll never survive in this world unless you toughen up." Mom stared at him as if she didn't know him.

John fled to his room.

xxx

Day 6, John woke to his Mom passed out at the table again. When he got back from school Mom was gone but there was more food on the table. As he ate he noticed things were missing from the room. The boots Dad had been saving for him to grow into. A pretty box they stored nick-knacks in. The book of poetry Dad had given Mom when they started dating.

When Mom walk through the door before curfew John confronted her. "Where are Dad's boots? And the book of poetry?"

"I can't deal with this right now?" Mom tried to shuffle past him to her room.

John blocked her path. "Mom, just tell me!"

"I sold them, okay. We needed the food. Happy now? This is what we've become." Mom brushed past him and closed her door.

John look and the food, she had gotten. It was barely enough for two more day.

xxx

Day 7, John took his notebook with him to school. He couldn't bear the thought of coming home to find Mom had sold it.

xxx

Day 8, more things were missing from their quarters. But there was no new food, so John went to bed with no dinner to try to make the food last longer.

xxx

Day 9, Mom yelled at him that he'd ruined her life. She hadn't been able too get more alcohol. After yelling at him she'd cried and apologize. "John I need it. Please I need it. I'm sorry."

xxx

Day 10, John approached Raven after school because everyone knew her Mom drank. "Hey," John said while checking no one else was around.

Raven just waited looking down at him.

After clearing his throat for the third time John said. "I need some alcohol."

Raven's face softened. "For your Mom."

John nodded relieved she understood. "Can you help me?"

"No. I'm sorry I won't." Raven placed a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me its better if she stops now."

John hadn't expected Raven to say no. She didn't understand he needed it to take care of his Mom. Who was Raven to tell him no? "So only your Mom can be drunk then?" he yelled after her.

Raven glared at him with such ferocity he took a step back.

"Forget you, John!"

xxx

Day 11, Mom had found more alcohol on her own. But they were out of food again. John didn't want to say anything, but Mom must have noticed his hunger.

"Poor baby John," she taunted him.

"I'm fine," he said, and tried to edge around her to his room.

"Always so weak and fragile. Alex did everything for you. He gave you everything."

"Yes, he was a great Dad," John tried.

Mom didn't seem to hear him. "And how do you repay him? By killing him!"

John stopped trying to get to his room and stared at his Mom. She couldn't have hurt him more if she'd shot him.

"That's right you heard me. He stole that medicine for YOU. If it weren't for YOU he'd be alive. **YOU KILLED YOUR DAD**!"

John started to cry, his blurry vision made it easier to push past the woman in front of him. She still looked like his Mom, but she was dead too. First he loses his father and now his mother. For the first time sense his Dad's death John cried himself to sleep.

xxx

Day 12, John left for school with out speaking to that woman. It was painful to even look at her and see his Mom. The Mom who used to kiss him on the head and tell him to have a great day at school. John wished she would die so he wouldn't have to look at her ever again.


End file.
